ANNCR VO: The 2009 Radio Mercury Awards
Call for Entries

2009 Call for Entries is closed. 2009 Prizes This year, we’re introducing the $10,000 Integrated Radio Campaign Prize to recognize the best use of radio within an integrated multimedia plan. With additional prizes for Agency/Production Company, Political, PSA, Radio Station-Produced, Spanish-Language, and Student-Produced, there’s never been a better time to enter the Radio Mercury Awards.  Of course, don’t forget the $100,000 Grand Prize. Prizes: One (1) $100,000 Grand Prize Two (2) $5,000 Agency/Production Company Prizes New: One (1) $10,000 Integrated Radio Campaign Prize One (1) $5,000 Political Category Prize One (1) PSA Category Award and $2,500 charitable donation One (1) $5,000 Radio Station-Produced Category Prize One (1) $5,000 Spanish-Language Category Prize One (1) $2,500 Student-Produced Category Prize Entry Deadlines Friday, March 20, 2009 Late Deadline: Tuesday, April 7, 2009.  (Late entry fees apply during this period.) Entry Fees Agency/Production Company, Political, Radio Station-Produced, and Spanish-Language Entries: $125 per entry if submitted by March 20, 2009. Entry fees increase to $150 if submitted between March 21 and March 27, 2009. PSA and Student-Produced Entries: $50 per entry.  There is no late fee for these categories. Integrated Radio Campaign Entries: $400 per entry if submitted by March 20, 2009.  Entry fee increases to $450 if entered between March 21 and March 27, 2009. Entry fees are non-refundable. Eligibility and Requirements Competition is open to ad agencies, production companies, radio stations, clients, or schools and universities, depending on the category.  Eligible entries initially aired on a U.S. commercially licensed radio station between January 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009.  (See Student Produced category description for specific requirements for that category.) Entries can be of any length. Entries can be in English or Spanish, depending on the category.  Spanish-Language entries should be written and produced originally in Spanish. (Please include an English translation with each Spanish entry.) Commercials and PSA’s can be entered in more than one category, provided they meet the eligibility requirements for that category. For example, you can enter a commercial into the Agency/Production Company category and submit the same commercial into the Integrated Radio category as part of a campaign. We reserve the right to transfer entries that were incorrectly submitted or to reject an entry that does not meet established category criteria. Additional Information The Grand Prize Award is selected from Finalists in the Agency/Production Company, Political, Radio Station-Produced, and Spanish-Language categories. Finalists in the Integrated Radio Campaign, PSA, and Student-Produced categories are not eligible to win the Grand Prize.   Entrants are limited to winning one cash prize per category per competition. Entrants are responsible for determining which parties receive credit on an entry. If two or more Entrants submit the same spot, it will be the sole decision of the Entrants to decide how any eventual cash prizes will be divided. Winners will be required to submit name of party/parties who shall receive prize monies, and to submit all paperwork requested, including W-9 forms for any applicable parties, within 90 days of announcing the Winners, or the prize monies may be forfeited. Category Descriptions and Criteria Agency/Production Company: A radio commercial created for a client by an ad agency, production company, or by the client.  The majority of the entry should be in English. Integrated Radio Campaign:  Radio commercial(s) created for a client by an ad agency, production company, radio station, or by the client. The radio commercials should be an essential component of a multi-media campaign.  Radio can be the primary media.  Entries will be evaluated based on how effectively radio is used within the total campaign and how well the creative elements of the radio commercials(s) integrate within the total campaign. Submit one to three radio commercials from the campaign. Submit samples of other media used in the campaign: online, mobile, TV, out-of-home, etc. Provide a brief (not longer than two-page) synopsis of the overall campaign, and describe how and why radio was used. Commercial(s) can be in English and/or Spanish (if part of multicultural campaign.)    Submit the radio commercials, synopsis, and other media used on one CD. Individual radio commercials from the campaign can be entered in other categories, so long as they meet the criteria for those categories. Political: A radio spot created for an individual political candidate, political party, or a political or ballot issue by an ad agency, production company, or by a political candidate, political party, or political action committee. Spots should meet broadcast eligibility of the Federal Election Committee (FEC).  Go to www.fec.gov for guidelines.  Entry can be in English or Spanish.   Public Service Announcement (PSA): A spot created for a client by an agency, production company, radio station, or by the client. The purpose of the spot should be education/awareness of significant social issues.  The work may be pro bono.  Media time may be donated.  Entry can be in English or Spanish. Radio Station-Produced: A radio commercial created for a station client by a radio station’s employees and/or writers/producers hired by the radio station. Entry can be in English or Spanish.   Spanish-Language: A radio commercial, originally created in Spanish, for a client by an ad agency, production company, or by the client. The majority of the entry should be in Spanish.    Student-Produced: A radio commercial created by an individual student or team of students as part of a class project for a current or immediately prior class in the curriculum of advertising, art and design, broadcasting, communications, copywriting, or public relations.  The commercial can be for an actual or fictitious product or service. The commercial should meet the broadcast standards of a typical U.S. radio commercial. In the event that the commercial is for an actual product or service, entrant must obtain full and proper clearance from all parties involved, prior to entering the commercial, including copyright and trademark permission. Public Service Announcements are not eligible. Entry can be in English or Spanish.  A professor, instructor, or designated representative of a qualified educational institution (as defined below) must submit the entry.  Entries by individual students will not be accepted. Qualified educational institutions are: A two-year or four-year U.S. chartered school or university offering graduate or post-graduate degrees. A U.S. chartered community college offering two-year associate degrees. A U.S. professional, technical or “proprietary” school offering an education in advertising, art and design, or broadcasting, with the goal of professional employment within the fields of advertising or broadcasting upon completion. Finalists and Winners Listen to the 2009 Winners and Finalists here. Judging Judging panels are comprised of qualified individuals from the agency, production, and radio communities.  Our judging criteria ensure that each entry is evaluated on its own individual merits.  Judges will not evaluate any entry in which they or their company were involved.  Entries that survive the first round of judging are evaluated in a second round, which determines the Finalists, as well as the Winners, in each category.  The Grand Prize Winner is selected from among Finalists in the Agency/Production Company, Political, Radio Station-Produced, and Spanish Language categories. Finalists in the Integrated Radio Campaign, PSA, and Student-Produced categories are not eligible to win the Grand Prize.   We reserve the right, if necessary, to interpret judging scores and weigh factors relevant to the competition’s purpose of rewarding creative excellence in radio commercials and PSA’s, and/or to reduce the number of Prizes given out in any category or not to award a Prize in any category if the quality of the entries does not meet the competition’s purpose. The decisions of judges during the judging process, and thereafter, the decisions of The Radio Mercury Awards, shall be final. 2010 Call For Entries 2010 Call for Entry begins in late 2009.  Sign up here for the Mercury Newsletter to get Call for Entry notification, plus the latest news.